In a Time of Chaos
by rosehannah
Summary: It's the year 1976. The First Wizarding War is at hand and no one is safe. Not even at Hogwarts. Students as well as teachers dares not to give each other a second glance, because in times like these you only trust yourself. And at the school the recruitment has started for a war that will be the cause of many casualties - and the soldiers being recruited are for both sides.
1. Prologue

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."

– Plato

Prologue

* * *

 **H** er heart was beating in her chest, so loud that Lily feared that he'd discover that she was following him. But the dark haired boy continued down the dark and quiet corridors, hopefully too nervous himself to notice her. Every time he turned a corner and Lily had to do the same, she held her breath out of fear of what might be waiting for her around the bend. The Cloak of Invisibility only kept her from discovery as long as she didn't run into anyone on the other side.

Finally, he seemed to have reached his destination. He stopped by a door that didn't look any different from any other, but when he suddenly opened it and slipped inside - his robes flying behind him - there was left no doubt about this being the place. The heavy sound of the door slamming shut echoed down the deserted corridor,

Lily silently cursed. Damn it all! He'd closed the door behind him. How was she supposed to get in now? Even at Hogwarts, doors didn't open up by themselves and that would be exactly what it would look like, if she continued the pursuit with the Cloak on. Anxiously, she slipped the cloak of and hid it behind a suit of armor that she prayed wouldn't wander off and reveal the cloak, before she got back.

She held her breath while sneaking closer. Behind the door Lily could hear muffled voices, but the barrier of stone and wood between whoever was on the other side of the wall and her, made it impossible to hear what they were talking about. Lily pulled her wand from her robes and tightened her grip around the willow wood, while she inched closer still. Soon she recognized the voices as male - and one female? It sounded like most of the voices were angry. There was obviously a discussion going on behind the door and somebody in there was definitely not happy.

Just a little further and Lily would be able to touch the door. Maybe she should turn around, though. Without the invisibility cloak she'd be caught immediately if one of the voices would think to open the door. Because, obviously, it was a classroom they were in and not another corridor as Lily had originally thought it to be. Nervously, she bit her bottom lip. Maybe she should really turn around? If not to get back to the safety of the Common Room, then at least for the invisibility cloak?

A sudden cry from the other side of the door made Lily jump. That voice had been young - a first year, maybe? But what would a first year do down in the dungeons at a time like this? Merlin, _Lily_ shouldn't even be down here now and she was a sixth year! Careful not to make any noise, Lily snuck the rest of the way up to the door. Quietly, she whispered a charm and lightly let her wand hit the door. Suddenly the wood was see-through - at least from Lily's perspective, allowing her to see whatever was going on, on the other side.

The sight made her gasp. Loud, too loud! The persons on the other side of the door turned too fast for Lily to react and before she could run away, the door was thrown open and someone grabbed her arm - the one holding her wand! Brutally, Lily was hauled into the room and the door was shut behind her.

" _Who is this?!_ " The man holding Lily yelled at the others in the room and shook her violently, the grib on her arm uncomfortably tight. " _Well?!_ "

At first the room was completely silent. Then someone made a small whimpering sound and Lily looked over towards the sight, that had made her gasp in horror to begin with. Because in the room wasn't only Severus, whom she had been following. No, there was also five first- and second year students, all terrified, with bruises all over and tears in their eyes. And around them, covered in long dark robes and their wands pointed at students, were Death Eaters. Their faces hidden behind the horrifying masks that Lily only had seen before as illustrations in _the Daily Prophet_ , but she now was forced to stand face-to-face with, they now surrounded her and the other Hogwarts students. One of the kids whimpered yet again and a Death Eater wacked the boy hard in the back of his head, a blow that would've knocked the boy over had one of the others not caught him.

The Death Eater holding on to Lily shook her again. "Speak up! NOW!"

Finally, Severus stepped forward. "Lily," he asked, paler than she'd ever seen him before. "What are you doing here?"


	2. The Hogwarts Express

AN: So, apparently messed up the layout to one big blurb. Great. If you want to read this story in a format I know much better, I'd suggest you check out my Movellas!

Chapter 1:

 _The Hogwarts Express_

* * *

 **P** latform 9 3/4 seemed more crowded than usual. Everywhere was packed with people and it seemed, that this year everyone had decided that the whole family should come see the young ones off to a new year at Hogwarts. Aunts and uncles, cousins and their cousins, even the granparents. Everyone had to be there this sunny September morning. All to ensure their familie's safe departure. Because in these times you never knew which goodbye would be the last.

James Potter was, as usual, an exception. He had neither uncles or cousins with him - not that he had any. The Potters had shrunk quite a bit over the last decade or two. And with ancient parents like his, there wasn't really anything called "grandparents" anymore. No, this sixteen-year-old had to make due with his mum's company this morning (Mr Potter had work, unfortunately) and actually, he was rather fine with it.

James let a hand mess up his hair out of sheer habit, which earned him a hard slap on the wrist by the older lady by his side. "Don't make it even worse, boy!" Mrs Potter scolded heartily and James rolled his eyes.

"Like I could. Why not just embrace my fate?"

"Because it's sticking out everywhere and I can't have my only son run around with a bird nest for hair," with skilled hands Mrs Potter began to straighten out and flatten the impossible hair. "What would people think of me? My son, the only heir to the Potter estate, and I can't even control his hair? They'd laugh me out the room! I'd be a disgrace at the dinner table!"

Quickly, James avoided his mother's hands. "You're my mother! Shouldn't you love me like I am?"

"I'd love you more if you'd let me fix your hair." Mrs Potter tried to catch her son, but James avoided her easily. "Come here, child!"

"'Boy', 'child'," repeated James, while he, once again, easily avoided his mother's attempt to fix his hair. "You'd think that you'd forgotten my name, woman!"

"Of course I haven't, Sirius," Mrs Potter answered.

James made a face. "Ha, ha." He gave up the fight to let Mrs Potter catch him, but instead of trying to flatten his hair when she did, the elderly woman surprised James by instead wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. Carefully, James patted his mother's back. "Hey, Mum, are you alright?"

Mrs Potter sighed and, after a moment, let go of her son. "Just be careful this year, understand? Don't do anything too reckless."

James grinned. "Me? Reckless? Never."

The older woman laughed and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm serious, James. And that goes for the others as well; Sirius, Remus, Peter. Watch out for each other, all right? You hear such awful things, lately."

James gave his mother a reassuring smile. "Don't worry too much, Mum. We're at Hogwarts. There's no place safer. Really, I should be the one worrying. You and dad are far more at risk here than we are at Hogwarts, you know."

Mrs Potter sighed. "I suppose you're right."

James grinned wider. "I usually am."

"Oi!" Someone yelled out behind them and both Mrs Potter and James turned to see a tan Sirius Black walking towards them, Peter and Remus arriving through the wall behind him as well. Sirius walked up to them and sent Mrs Potter a cocky smile. "Missed me, Elaine?"

Mrs Potter shook her head at him, laughing lightly. "Since you disappeared to find Remus and Peter ten minutes ago?" She asked as the two mentioned caught up to them. "How have you been, boys?"

"Good, Mrs Potter," Remus and Peter answered.

"Thank you for letting us stay with James over the summer," Remus added politely. The thin teenage boy with the light brown hair had hit another growth spurt over the summer and was now taller than all the other three Marauders. The long days spend at the beach by the Potters' vacation home or in their backyard had exchanges the boy's usual pale composure with a more suiting tan. "It was great."

"Any time, dear," Mrs Potter said heartily. "Now that Sirius is staying with us permanently, it's nice to have the two of you over to keep them from too much trouble when I can't. I won't dare say that any of the two of them are especially responsible young men. It's only nice that you and Peter are with them, so they don't do anything too careless."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mrs Potter," said Sirius, casually leaning up against the trolley with his luggage. "I am incredibly responsible. I think Remus here is keeping you in the dark, actually. He clearly hasn't told you about all the times iI've had to stop Peter from jumping in the lake from the watch tower to impress the grocer's daughter."

"Hey!" Objected Peter, a blond boy, considerably shorter than the others but with the same tan.. "That was you!"

"Oh, right," said Sirius, looking very pleased with himself. "It was. It also worked." He added, earning a smack in the back of his head from James.

"Git," said James. "Stop bragging about birds to my mum." Sirius laughed.

Mrs Potter was smiling at them. "I going repeat what I just told James; be careful, boys. Try to act somewhat responsibly this year, understood?"

"Yes, Mrs Potter," Remus, Peter and Sirius chimed. "I'll try to keep Pettigrew from the ladies," Sirius added. "Though I'm not sure I can keep the ladies from him." This time it was Peter trying to hit him, but Sirius avoided it. "Quidditch reflexes, Petey. I'm just too fast. _Ow, bloody hell!_ " Sirius exclaimed when his comment quickly rewarded him punches from all three Marauders, while Mrs Potter watched amused. Then the whistle sounded and the four boys hurriedly got themselves and their belongings on board the Hogwarts Express.

They quickly found an empty compartment and James stuck his head out of the open window to wave goodbye to his mother, who was now standing by herself on the platform, with what James suspected were tears in her eyes. "Come on, Mum, I'll write you!" He assured the elderly woman. "Every week!"

"I'll write you every _day_ , Mrs Potter," said Sirius, who had also stuck his head out the window now and James easily pushed him back, laughing, before returning inside as well. Back on the platform Mrs Potter still had tears in her eyes, but now a smile as well, as she waved her son goodbye until he disappeared into the distance along with the rest of the students on the train.

* * *

William couldn't concentrate on his book. Usually, lack of concentration rarely was a problem he would run into. He'd always been a very collected person, but today his mind seemed to wander of to places he'd rather they not. He let the book lie with its worn down back upwards on the seat beside him and decided to instead focus on his girlfriend, who was currently lying in his arms.

Mira Silencia - tall and slim, with long blonde hair and a gorgeous face with high cheekbones - was lying with her eyes closed and her head resting in William's lap. Her long legs were taking up the rest of the seat. One would think she was asleep. William, of course, knew better than that. He also knew to still not to 'wake' her, anyways. With light irritation towards himself and his lack of selv-restraint, he picked up his book and tried yet again to concentrate on Eldred Worple and his life amongst the vampires, when there was a knock on the door to their compartment. Annoyed by the interruption, William lifted his gaze from the book once again and let it rest on the new arrival.

"Yes?" said Mira, annoyed. Her eyes were still closed but William suspected she might've opened them to catch a glimpse of their guest before closing them again. "We're busy." She hadn't moved from her lying position in Williams lap.

"Mulciber wants to talk to us," said Avery, a slim Slytherin that seemingly seemed like a calm and sensible sixth year, but William knew that there were a more sadistic side to the boy. He hadn't stepped fully into the compartment, only opened the door to deliver the message. "Says it's important."

William sighed, annoyed. Since Mulciber had been chosen as the official link between them and Malfoy, the decision had gone a bit to the boy's head. To William, Mulciber had a task that a common barn owl could do just as well, but the sixth year clearly didn't see it the same way.

Mira protested when William gestured to standing up and opened her eyes to look at her boyfriend. "Is it really necessary? These meetings are getting more and more common. You know just as well as I do that Mulciber thinks everything is deadly important these days, just as he thinks himself so important all of a sudden." William glanced a bit curiously at Avery to see whether or not he would speak up for his class mate, but William couldn't read any discomfort or annoyance on the pale boys face.

"Unfortunately, yes," answered William in a bored voice and got up. He brushed the folds out of his clothing - him and Mira both had already changed into their Hogwarts robes - while he turned around to offer a hand up to his girlfriend. Finally, Avery looked like he was going to object - it seemed that Mira might not've been welcome at this meeting - but the blonde girl just raised a shapely eyebrow threatheningly at the younger boy, before she defiantly accepted Williams hand and got to her feet. On the way, Mira's skirt rode up, exposing her thigh and suddenly Avery had other things to think about. William bid notice in the other boy's hungry stare. The elder Slytherin kept his indifferent attitude, but made sure to knock Avery rather violently into the door frame on his way out of the compartment, Mira right behind him.

A group of Slytherins had taken hold of an open compartment of the train. Everyone looked up as William, Mira and Avery stepped inside, past the two brawny guys whom William suspected were set up as "guards". Mulciber followed them with his eyes while the couple found two empty seats across from the other Slytherin. Mira casually rest her head on William's shoulder and he put an arm around her.

William glanced around the room, taken note of the students present. They were all, of course, Slytherins. There were potential supporters from the other Hogwarts Houses as well, but the main meeting were kept exclusive for the Snakes. Just to be safe. William noticed the usual's present. Gudgeon, Rosier, Wilkes. Two younger students, fourth years probably, he recognized as Regulus Black and Crouch Jr., both new. The Nott Twins were present as well - their father's trip to Azkaban had probably tipped them over. Severus Snape was there as well; William new Mulciber had been very determined on getting this boy on board, and for some reason he now seemed to have succeeded.

All in all it was a pleasant turn-up. William would almost have been impressed by Mulciber's work, if it wasn't already clearly written on the sixth year's face, that he had enough pride of this for the both of them.

"So?" Eleanor Nott finally asked, when everyone had found a seat (it seemed that Avery, as well as Rosier and Wilkes, preferred standing). Her fingernails drummed an impatient rythm on the dark wood of her seat. She sat with her legs crossed beside her brother, Theodore. They, too, had changed into their robes. "What was the news that seemed so important?"

"Avery made it sound as if you'd found the cure to dragon pox," Theodore supplied.

Mulciber leaned forward in his seat, his hands resting in his lap, before he said solemnly; "The Dark Lord has made a decision. It is time."

The compartment was quiet for a moment. Then;

"You know," said Gudgeon, "I'm sure that that would've made much more of an impact, if any of us knew what the hell you're talking about, Mulciber." Theodore Nott barked a laugh at this, and a corner of Williams mouth dragged upwards in a small smile as well.

"Shut the fuck up, Gudgeon," said Rosier aggressively and Gudgeon raised an eyebrow at him. "This is serious."

"That's a little hard to know with Mulciber trying to be dramatic and all," said Theodore and leaned back into his seat. Beside him, his sister was now smiling as well.

"Can we move on, please?" interrupted Snape, to Williams surprise. The boy looked awful; the dark greasy hair hund like heavy curtains, hiding most of his face, though not the dark circles underneath his eyes. "I don't care for all this useless chatter."

Wilkes snorted from his place near the door. "Eager to get back to Evans, huh, Snape?"

Rosier gave Snape a look mixed between surprise and mild disgust. "Mudblood Evans?" he asked and William could feel Mira move in his arms, suddenly uneasy. Rosier looked from Snape to Wilkes. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Really?" asked Theodore, grinning. "You don't know?"

"Shut up," Snape sneered, but Theodore just laughed, unaffected.

"Snape has something for the little ginger," said Nott. "He holds her close in his little Slytherin heart." To emphasize his point, Theodore dramatically placed one hand on his chest, the other over his forehead while pretending to swoon, all while his sister beside him was rolling her eyes. On their seats behind Mulciber and Snape, Crouch Jr was sniggering and Black seemed to be trying to suppress a smile as well.

Rosier, however, did not seem to find anything about the situation amusing. "You're kidding," he said, disbelief clear in his voice and his face now clearly expressing his disgust. He looked at Snape. "She's a dirty little mudblood, what the fuck is the matter with you?!" In his seat in the corner, Snape looked like he very much wished he'd never spoken. Behind him, Crouch was now sniggering loudly without trying to hide it. Rosier turned to Avery: "What, you'd want to have a go at Evans, maybe?!"

"You know," William interrupted casually and the others looked at him. "I don't know if that's a fair question to ask. As long as she has a pulse, I believe Paul would hump just about anyone," he continued and both Crouch, Black and Nott emitted in obvious laghter, Avery's face unreadable. Rosier was still not laughing;

"How about you, then, Rowle?" he asked, looking at William now. "You'd shag Evans?"

"Of course not," answered William, relaxed. "Don't be disgusting. Why do you even care, Rosier?"

"He does seem quite determined to find out who'd do Evans," Wilkes agreed. "Why is that?"

Rosier sent them both a dirty look. "If you think-"

"As thrilling as this topic is," Eleanor suddenly interrupted and everyone's eyes were suddenly on the darkhaired seventh year, who now was looking incredibly bored. "And really; absolutely thrilling to hear what kind of dirt you guys will and won't hump - can we get back to the reason we're here?"

"Yeah," Theodore added and looked at Mulciber. "What _did_ you mean by 'i _t is time_ ', Mulciber?"

Mulciber, who had said nothing while the previous conversation had escalated, now cleared his throat before continuing; "I've news from the Dark Lord-"

"You mean news from Malfoy," interrupted Gudgeon casually and Crouch's low sniggering could be heard yet again from behind Mulciber, who sent Davey a restrained look, obviously pushing his frustration with the older boy back.

"Yes," Mulciber said, not in the mood to discuss. "From Malfoy. The Dark Lord is ready to start recruiting students at Hogwarts."

"Start recruiting? I thought that was what had been going on all along?" Asked Eleanor and her brother nodded. "Isn't that what you've been doing the past year, Nick? Recruiting?"

Mulciber shook his head. "I've been discussing possible followers. Nothing official. Not until now."

"'Nothing official'?" Interrupted Wilkes. "Does that mean none of us official are a part of- of, uh, this?" He asked, gestuuring to the group they were sitting in with confusion written all over his face.

"None of us are officially anything yet, no," said Mulciber.

"And what about you?" Asked Rosier and Mulciber shook his head yet again. "What the hell does that mean?!"Added Rosier. "What do we do to make it official?"

"He would probably get to that," answered Gdgeon, annoyed, "If you could just shut up for a moment."

"Gudgeon, if you think-"

"Stop," interrupted Avery, and Rosier sent him an annoyed look. "This is important," Avery continued. "The Dark Lord has a plan."

"A plan?" Asked Theodore and Mulciber nodded.

"Yes. For all of us. We have to prove our trust to Him. Our belief in his goal. Our skills." Mulciber told them. "He has plans for all of us. Tasks for us to complete before we can officially be accepted. Before we complete these, we're children. Useless to him. But when we have fulfilled the requirements, to the satisfaction that is needed, we'll be able to call ourselves what we all wish to. Death Eaters."

A heavy silence filled the train compartment, while Mulciber's words sunk in. William could feel Miras eyes on him, dark and serious, but he did not meet her stare. Then, the Nott Twins looked at each other. They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before a nasty smile spread on their lips. Eleanor then leaned forward in her seat and raised her eyebrows; "What shall we do, then?"

* * *

The Welcoming Feast were reaching a close. All around them, students from every House seemed to be stuffed and ready for bed. James sat at the Gryffindors' table in the Great Hall, still recovering from the great meal he'd just consumed, along with the other Marauders. The feast had played out as it had every other year, to James' surprise. Because after Professor McGonagall had to be the one giving the welcoming speech - Dumbledore had been noticeably abscent - James had expected that... _something_ , would happen. In all of James' five previous years at Hogwarts, the Headmaster had not missed but one welcoming feast. Not until tonight.

"Moony, can't you get some of the new Prefects to follow the firsties up to their dormitories, already? I need to get to bed. I swear, I'm about to explode," said Sirius As to prove his point, the words were followed suddenly by a loud burp. Disgusted, James pushed Sirius away from him, mumbling "Pig," and Sirius laughed.

"We were told at the meating that Dumbledore had some speciel message after the feast and that we should wait for that," answered Remus. "It sounded serious."

"Serious, schmerious, it's already been ages. If he doesn't hurry it up already, I swear on Merlin's saggy-"

James interrupted him, "Would you shut it with the complaining?"

Sirius raised his hands in a defensive stand. "Relax. Who's got your knickers in a twist?"

"Fuck off, will you," Sirius laughed. Just then the door at the teachers' longtable opened and Dumbledore emerged through it, his midnight blue robes fluttering behind him as he made his way up to Professor McGonagall with an air of... anger, around him.

"What's going on, you think?" Peter asked the others, nervously.

The sixth year needn't wait long for an answer though, as Dumbledore only spoke briefly with the other professor before continuing towards his seat and turning towards the rest of the Great Hall. The other students quickly noticed their headmaster's grave expression and the hall quickly quieted down.

"Students at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, his serious demeanor echoing through his voice. "These are dangerous times. The Wizarding community has never been a simple place. Magic is a complicated art and there are many aspects of our abilities, that we have yet to figure out completely. It is, however, not magic in itself that we should fear. It is the people that take advantage of the power it gives us.

"In 1970 we were first made completely aware of the changes that was ahead of os. A new time. A dangerous time. You all, of course, know why. Voldemort,"a few students gasped, but Dumbledore continued, "Has threatened our world, by threatening other witches and wizards. Muggleborns and half bloods. Even though these people are strong on their own - nothing in their blood has ever, or will ever, limit their abilities - they are still in need of our help. Nobody should march to war alone. And war, that is what is coming."

Around the hall a scared and nervous chatter erupted, students whispering the possible meaning of these words to each other. The teachers were looking gravely at each other. James noticed that Professor McGonagall's lips were pressed to a thin line. She didn't seem to be scared or angry like the other professors; she seemed angry.

Dumbledore waited patiently for the students to calm down once again and when they did, he slowly continued. "Yesterday morning bright young witches and wizards from all around the globe, students, much like you, were ready to depart from their beloved to travel to their schools. But instead of starting a new school year, they instead all got a letter. By owl, 717 students got a letter from their respective schools, informing them that they were no longer welcome at the place, they before had called their home nine months a year. It saddens me deeply to see, that so many students believe that the best way to protect their students and teachers, was to bow down and exclude the most vulnerable of them.

"Many other schools everywhere are chocked. A decision like this has never been heard of before. The Ministry," Professor Dumbledore's face changed for a slightly more bitter expression, "Seems to believe that it is the schools' right to expel these students, if they feel they are protecting the masses. Therefore, schools all over the world has decided, that it is our _obligation_ to help these students in need and give them a new home, a place of learning. Hogwarts can proudly say to be one of these schools. That is why I will now ask you all to welcome the previous students of the scandinavian Cathedral School for Bright young Witches and Wizards. I will ask that you all accept these students as heartily as you do our first years every year, for these students are just as much part of our Hogwarts family as they are. Let us make sure, that despite their troubles, these young people will have a year more magical than ever. Welcome, new students, at Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore sat back down in his seat and the moment he did so, the huge doors of the Great Hall opened and a group of what James suspected were about 30 students stepped inside, admiring the enchanted ceiling. There were students of all ages, from ickle firsties to seventh years. They were all dressed in black Hogwarts robes and looked incredibly... worn out. Only the youngest seemed to really notice the hundreds of pairs of eyes on them and was blushing while walking nervously towards the teachers hightable, where the stool used by the first years before the feast were still present. McGonagall had stepped forward and was now standing with the Sorting Hat in one hand and a list in the other. James turned quickly towards the other Marauders, their faces expressing the same amount of chock, that he was feeling himself. "Expelled? They shouldn't be able to do that! How the hell could the Ministry allow this?!"

Remus shook his head in disbelief. "They can't. Or shouldn't, at least. It can't be legal to kick students out merely because of their blood."

"There must be some kind of loophole that allows it," said Sirius. The dark haired boy was wearing an expression of disgust. "The Ministry is just as scared of this Voldemort-fellow and his followers as the schools are. It sure as hell ain't going to be them stopping him."

"But it's their job!" James exclaimed angrily and pushed his dinner plate away.

Sirius shrugged. "What do you want them to do? Force the schools to take back their students? If I were one of them, you could give me a thousand galleons and there was still no fucking way I'd be going back to a school that turned around and bend over backwards for that pompous git."

"Sirius!" Peter sputtered horrified. Sirius looked at him and then rolled his eyes.

"What? Oh, come off it, it's not like he can hear me, Pete." Peter seemed to not find this satisfactory and was about to protest, but Sirius had already turned his attention back towards the other Marauders. "So, what do we do, then?"

"Well, for starters, I'd say we should make sure that Hogwarts gives a very warm welcome, as Dumbledore said," Remus said. "These students have probably been through enough right now, as it is. You can do that, right?"

Sirius and James looked at each other, nodding. "That can be arranged," said James.

* * *

Lily Evans was angry. No, more than so; she was infuriated.

After Dumbledore's speech, the Sorting of the new students had started. They'd been standing in a long row from the entrance and up towards the teachers, while they quietly waited to be called forward. It had been a strange sight for the older Hogwarts students, who wasn't used to anyone other than first years to be sorted, to now watch as sixteen-year-olds sat down on the stool and have Professor McGonagall place the hat on their heads.

It had at least warmed Lily's heart to see the surprise in the first student to be sorted eyes, when the Ravenclaw table suddenly erupted in celebration as "Andresen, Sofia" was placed in their house. It seemed that after that, an unofficial competition between the Hogwarts houses had been kicked off. Every table wanted to be the ones celebrating their new peers the loudest. Teachers had to run around and desperately putting out the small fires that the fireworks students set off, would start. Professor McGonagall had to personally bewitch a giant konfetti lion that had suddenly errupted from the Marauders' end of the table, when it had tried to eat a bunch of Slytherins who had boo'ed as "Storström, Adam" had been sorted to Hufflepuff. Lily had thought she saw the strict teacher crack a smile, however, when the beast spit out Barty Crouch Jr and his friends, and they all had the same color as the sprinkles on funfetti cake.

Dumbledore finally had announced that it was time for sleep, the white haired professor looked almost a bit proud. Lily suspected that he might've been afraid of a less welcoming sorting.

It had been quietly noted by most students at the Gryffindor table, that none of their new mates had been sorted to Slytherin.

However, as the excitement of the festivities had worn off and Lily looked in the mirror, standing barefoot and brushing her dark red hair, the feeling of... unfairness, had returned.

317 students had been chased out of their schools. At least a dusin schools around the globe had rejected their own students and succumbed to Voldemort's demands. If they hadn't had Dumbledore, would Hogwarts have been one of them? Would Lily and her friends be the ones thrown out in the rain with nowhere to go? Would she and all other mugglerborns someday have to give up their lives as witches and wizards, all because of this one man's insane ideology? Would it be soon?

"Lily," a soft voice said and a hand was gently placed on Lily's own, which had gripped the brush so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Lily loosened her grip and looked up at the friend in front of her. Marlene McKinnon's long blonde hair hand prettily down her back and framed her face nicely, enhancing the light blue eyes that right now were filled with worry and resting on Lily. "Are you alright?"

The redhead turned back towards the mirror and continued brushing her hair, a bit rougher than necessary. "I'm angry," she announced. "Livid, actually."

"I see that," said Marlene and stepped back a bit, so that she could rest her weight against the edge of her four-poster. "I suppose I know what it's about?"

Lily sighed and finally put the brush down. She looked at her reflection; the girl in the mirror was of average height, slim and her green eyes had a fire in them, burning bright. Her hair was everywhere; the violent brushing had made her hair electric. Lily sighed and put her hair up in a ponytail, while continuing; "I just can't understand how this can be allowed. I mean, if they allow schools to do this, then the possibilities for the rest of the world are endless!"

She turned to look at Marlene. The other girl was hugging herself while she slowly shrugged. Lily continued; "Marlene, we'll end up in a community that exclude us from everything. If schools are allowed to throw out muggleborns, simply because of our heritage, then it won't be long until the employers get the same idea. And then the hospitals. Merlin, Sankt Mungos will cose their doors for muggleborns - halfbloods, too - and then where will we go? We're going to war and we'll need hospitals more than ever! I don't want to stand outside a closed door while my friends are killed, not being able to do anything because I've been labeled as an outcast scum, who doesn't deserve basic human rights anymore!"

Tears were shining in Lily's eyes, making her vision blurry, and she turned away from Marlene. "I don't want to give up on this world, Marlene. I'm a witch. Magic is a part of me."

Slowly, Marlene got to her feet and went up behind Lily. Calmly, she wrapped her arms around her friend and let her head rest on the redhead's shoulder. "The magical world doesn't want to give up on you, either," she said. "Lily, do you know how huge a part of the magical society the muggleborns and halfbloods are? It's quite a chunk. Do you know how many pureblood families there are? There's this guy who wrote a book about it, the Sacred Twenty-eight. Twenty-eight! You can't create a society with only pureblood families, the mere idea is ridiculous and a lot of people think that. We need you just as much as you need us. You need to stay strong, Lily. We'll have to fight this."

Lily took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right, Marlene." She turned around to face her friend and send her a smile. "Thanks,"

Marlene gave her an even bigger smile in return. "No problem. We'll have to be there for each other." She turned around and walked back towards her bed and when she reached it, Marlene let herself fall back onto the soft mattress, her blonde hair spreading out on the pillow.

Lily went over to her own four-poster and sat down. "We'll have to be there for the new students, as well."

Marlene looked at her with with sad eyes. "Can you believe the group of Slytherins that started boo-ing?"

Lily nodded. "The only time I genuinely appreciated the Marauders' rule-breaking.!

"Really?" Marlene grinned. "I'm pretty sure I saw you cheering along in the crowd back in May, when they got Peeves stuck in his own booby trap, though."

Lily protested; "I didn't cheer!" Marlene gave her an overbearing look and the redhead threw a pillow at her, which the other girl avoided, laughing.

"You have to admit," said Marlene, "That it was pretty impressive."

"Fine," Lily sighed, turning around and started drawing the curtains of her bed. "But only because I still cannot wrap my head around why Peeves didn't just, you know, phase through it. Merlin's sake, he's a ghost!"

"Poltergeist," Marlene corrected and had to laughingly avoid another pillow flying at her. "But yeah, you're right. That must've been some advanced magic. You think Remus cast it?"

Lily shook her head. "James."

Marlene lifted her blonde eyebrows. "Really?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You've been taught alongside him for five years, Marlene. Obviously, you must know he's talented."

"Oh, I don't know it that's fair, Lily, I don't stare at him quite as much as you do."

"Give me my pillows back, I don't have anyones left to throw at you!"

"Forget it. I'm sleeping like a queen tonight."

"Brat." Marlene laughed.

That night, after the rest of the sixth year girls had gone to bed as well and all the curtains on the four-posters were drawn, the lights turned off, Lily lay awake. No, she didn't want to cry any more. Tears wouldn't get her anywhere, really. Instead she'd be angry. Furious. She'd yell and scream and damn it, she'd fight to make sure that all her fears for muggleborns in this society, would never come true. It felt like yesterday she'd gotten her Hogwarts letter and a new world had opened up in front of her - a world filled with magic and endless possibilities for a life, that most could only dream of. No, Lily could never give up on magic. Even if it'd cost her life in the end, she'd fight. If not for herself, then for the 317 students who got rejected. If not for herself, then for all the muggleborn children out in the world, who'd otherwise never get their letter.


	3. Strenght to the Lost Ones

AN: So, apparently messed up the layout to one big blurb. Great. If you want to read this story in a format I know much better, I'd suggest you check out my Movellas!

Chapter 2:

 _Strenght to the lost ones_

* * *

 **J** ames Potter stepped inside Professor Binns' classroom, ready for two unbelievably boring lessons in the History of Magic, alone. Even though it wasn't entirely impossible to see a Marauder without at least one of the others, it was still a rare sight. The four boys - not completely dependent on each other, though close - did usually seem like a package deal.

To be honest, it actually hadn't really been James' plan to show up for class without the others. Actually, his plan had involved not showing up at all. It had been sheer bad luck that the dark haired boy now had to choose a desk to sit down by in the old ghost's classroom.

Earlier that day at the morning table, three of the boys had actually decided to skip the first couple of lessons. Remus had felt ill during the night and the rest of the Marauders had planned to entertain the boy, so that he wouldn't have to sit alone in the Hospital Wing until lunch. James, however, had caught sight of a certain ginger girl and the two others had gone on without him, expecting him to catch up with them later. This had resulted in the unfortunate situation, that had been when James finally was heading towards the Hospital Wing, he had run into a very strict-looking Professor McGonagall. She'd chosen to personally escort him to class, since catching him running the opposite way.

So while the other Marauders got to sit together and eat Bertie Bott's every-flavour beans (after promising Madam Pomfrey that they had a couple of free periods), James could look forward to desperately trying not to fall asleep while listening to Binns' endless monologue on Lachlan the Lanky's adventures. Hurrah. James might've been a bit bitter,

"Excuse me," sounded a female voice at his side, suddenly, talking with a slight accent. James looked up from his seat and met a pair of pretty pale grey eyes. "Is this seat taken?"

"Nope," said James and gestured for her to sit. The girl send him a small smile before slipping into the seat. "You're one of the new ones, right? From the Scandinavian school?"

"The girl turned sligthly in her seat to face him, nodding and holding her right hand forward for James to shake it. "Camille Björk," she said.

"James Potter," he answered and shook her hand. She had a nice, if a bit shy, smile and her dark wavy hair had been cut in a ruffled bob. "Pleasure."

"You too. You're a Gryffindor, right?" said Camille. The word was obviously new to her, as she seemed to make the vocals a bit too long and more pressure on the r's than necessary.

"Yep," said James and pointed towards his maroon-and-gold striped tie, before looking at hers. "And you're a Hufflepuff, then?"

She nodded before repeating what she must've been told some time earlier; "The kind, just and hardworking?"

"Most of them, anyway," confirmed James. "The whole thing really isn't as accurate as the Sorting Hat claims, you know. It depends."

"That makes sense. Most people aren't really simple enough to just split into four houses," she said. "Would you mind sharing your book with me, James? None of us really have any school things meant for Hogwarts students yet. The decision for us to come here was very sudden," explained Camille. "We owe Dumbledore a great lot."

"Of course, no problem," said James and pulled out his copy of _A History of Magic_ from his bag, before looking back at her. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened? None of us knew any of it before Dumbledore held his speech shortly before you all arrived, yesterday."

Camille shrugged, evasively. "We all met up the usual way to get our floo-, um, to get escorted to the school," she said and James noted that Hogwarts apparently wasn't the only school wanting to keep some things secret. "But no muggleborn could access the chambers. We were all very confused, because our other schoolmates had no trouble, it seemed. Then we all received an owl." Camille's shoulders seemed to collapse a bit along with her smile, and James could feel his own anger starting to boil up. "We'd been kicked out. Expelled. _Vi beklager eventuell uleilighet denne informasjonen kan ha medført_ -, uh, 'we apologize for any inconvenience this decision might've brought you'. We thought it was a joke. Obviously, it wasn't."

James clenched his fists, but before he could respond, another voice interrupted. "A letter? _On the day_?" asked Stebbins, a classmate also from Hufflepuff, that seemed to have been listening to the two others' conversation. Actually, James noticed, they'd gotten quite an audience while Camille had talked. All around them, students who were also curious as to what exactly had seemed to happen, had gathered to listen in.

Camille, also noticing the crowd, seemed to look a bit uncomfortable by the attention but nodded none the less. "Merlin, I can't even imagine having to go through that!" exclaimed Stebbins and James remembered that the Hufflepuff himself also were a muggleborn. Around them, a couple other students nodded in agreement. "What did you do, then? How'd you get a hold of Dumbledore?"

Camille looked nervously up towards the teacher's desk. Without any of them noticing, Binns had started his teaching. It did, however, seem as though the old Professor hadn't noticed his students not paying attention, either. "Just continue," encouraged Mary MacDonald, a small dark haired girl from James' own house. Her voice was eager, though she kept it low to avoid suspicion. "Binns won't notice if we just keep our voices down."

The new Hufflepuff didn't really seem satisfied by this, but chose to continue anyway, "Well, a lot of the younger students tried to get in anyway," Camille said in a low voice. "Our pure- and half blood friends were pretty determined on not leaving us behind, no matter what some letter said. A couple of the older students - the ones' been placed at your seventh year here, I believe - decided that it really wouldn't bring any good, you know, trying to force our way through. The school didn't want us, anyways." Camille paused and for a short moment, James could see the bitterness in her eyes. A Hufflepuff girl, Wendy Slinkhard, carefully out a hand on Camille's shoulder and send her a sympathetic look. Camille looked gratefully at her, before slowly continuing;

"The others decided to go to the Ministry of Magic - not yours, of course - to find out what to do now. I stayed behind with some of the others, to watch over the youngest. They were only gone for an hour, before they came back and told us that no-one in the Ministry had wanted to talk to them. They were just told to fill out a form, which they did, but a little bird told us that it could take weeks before that got us anywhere. Instead, they'd been told to go find Dumbledore. Dumbledore would help us.

"Our only problem was, that how in the world would we get to him? We considered sending him an owl, but we were all pretty upset at the time and not in the mood to just wait around. One of my friends then mentioned that I, um, had been fooling around a bit with apparation," Camille blushed a bit, "And they all got back to ask if I could take them to the Ministry of Magic in London, since I'd visited it one summer a couple of years back-"

"Wait," interrupted Bertram Aubrey, a blond Ravenclaw that James had always thought to be a bit of an cocky prick (him and Sirius had once hexed Aubrey's head to grow twice its size so that it would match the Ravenclaw's ego. While the Marauders, personally, had found it hilarious, Aubrey seemed to hold a grudge now), and looked appalled at Camille. "You didn't _apparate_ all of you into the Ministry, did you?" he said, horrified.

"Of course not!" said Camille annoyed, and a bit too loud. The whole group quickly looked up towards Professor Binns, who, luckily, didn't seem to have heard the outburst. Camille continued, keeping her voice low once again; "That would be way too dangerous, I'm not an idiot. I don't even have my licence in Apparation, yet, and there's no way I'm splinching anyone."

"Well, how'd you get there, then?" Asked James and suddenly Camille was all red again.

"I, um, made a portkey."

James wasn't the only one looking wide-eyed at the sixth year. " _You made a portkey? You?_ " he asked.

Camille nodded shyly. Aubrey crossed his arms, looking very annoyed; "And that's safer than apparating, how exactly?"

A bit of Camilles shyness was replaced by annoyance, as she also crossed her arms before answering. "I've done it before. You don't need to look at me like that, you know, I'd never do it if I hadn't been sure I could. "

"You've made a portkey before?" asked Mary, looking at the other girl in awe. "And it worked?"

Camille shrugged and red spots appeared on her cheeks again as she looked down. By her side, James made sure to remember that that school really had been for talented witches and wizards, no doubt. "Impressive," he said.

"Well, what happened when you arrived at the Ministry, then?" Stebbins wanted to know and Camille looked thankful for the change of topic.

"I made sure the portkey would drop us outside the visitors' entrance, first," she told them. Half the classroom - Ravenclaws as well as Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors - were now turned towards her. The Slytherins seemed to be more discreet, but James didn't doubt that most of them were listening in as well. "Since I wasn't sure that it was allowed, if even possible, to just let it escort us directly to the Atrium Hall."

"It wouldn't've let you," Slinkhard told her. "That was smart of you, you'd probably just've been thrown back again, if not worse."

Camille nodded. "We figured. We went a couple at a time into the phone box, since we were quite a lot of people and wouldn't all fit at once. We then said that we were part of a guided tour since Stefan feared they wouldn't let us in otherwise, and it worked!" She squeaked, still keeping her voice down but was starting to get captured by her own story. And she wasn't the only one. The other students around them, including James, had scooted even closer and was taking in every word with wide eyes. "Well, then we got inside and at first no-one seemed to notice the sudden increase of teenagers around them,"

"The Ministry is usually filled with people who think themselves very important and very busy," agreed Mary and Camille shrugged.

"In any case we got to ask around for Dumbledore for at least twenty minutes before a nasty-looking dark haired man suddenly errupted and seized Kaia, interrogating her on ' _what the bloody hell_ ' we thought we were doing there. I tried to get him to let go, but the man - Rookwood, I believe - just got really angry and started to threaten us. Told us we were idiotic pests, who did't know what we were ' _getting ourselves into_ '. Not a very pleasant man."

"Augustus Rookwood?" Asked a Hufflepuff with a long nose covered in freckles (whose name James had forgotten) and Camille nodded. "My dad works with him. There's rumors that he's a spy for... you know who," she told them.

"That wouldn't surprise me," said Camille and shuddered. "Even without the, you know, shouting, I can't imagine being comfortable around him. Just the way he seemed to look at us, it was unsettling. We were lucky that the others had found Dumbledore, 'cause he was the one who finally got him off of Kaia. Suddenly he was just there, placing a hand on the guy's shoulder and saying 'Rookwood, I am sure you do not intend to hurt this young girl. Am I wrong?'," Camille made her voice a bit deeper while trying to imitate Dumbledore's calm voice. "That's how I know his name, 'cause Rookwood sure wasn't keen on identifying himself to us while shaking Kaia."

"How'd the others find Dumbledore?" asked Stebbins and Camille shrugged.

"He just showed up," she said. "I asked the others, but they don't know, either. Must've been told that we were looking for him by one of the witches or wizards we asked in the Atrium Hall."

"Dumbledore's a great man," said Mary, her voice filled with the respect most Hogwarts student seemed to have for their headmaster. "He's know for just, you know, knowing stuff."

"What did Dumbledore say?" Asked James, but before Camille could tell them, she was interrupted by a high-pitched voice;

"Professor Binns," said Emma Vanity with her hand in the air, and the whole class turned towards her. "I can't hear your teaching over all the chattering by James Potter's table."

Professor Binns turned away from the blackboard, where he'd been writing what seemed to be an endless paragraph supporting his lecture, and turned towards James, looking slightly confused by the sudden interruption. The group of students that had slowly inched closer towards James and Camille's table while she'd talked, had quickly scattered as soon as vanity had started talking and was now in their own seats. The Professor looked at the two of them left, annoyed. "If the two of you can't keep it down, I'll welcome you to leave my classroom," he said.

"That won't be necessary, sorry Sir," said James quickly. By his side, Camille had started to quickly write down what James suspected was notes on a piece of parchment that she'd plucked from her bag while he'd looked away. Binns gave him another pointed glance, before huffing annoyed and turning around to face the blackboard once again. Vanity sent James a gloating smirk that he ignored. "Sorry, Camille, didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Camille just waved it off with her free hand, finishing the last sentence on the paper with the other, before pushing it towards James. He curiously took a closer look, since it apparently wasn't History notes as he'd first thought. Instead, it said;

' _Professor Dumbledore seemed very upset when we told him why we'd asked around for him. It was nice to find someone who didn't just brush us off, honestly. He said he promised to fix the situation. None of us would miss any school because of this despicable mindset that seemed to flow around, he'd personally make sure of that, he told us._ '

James quickly gathered his own quill and ink, so he could respond;

' _Did he say what he was going to do? Who he'd contact?_ '

James made sure to study Camille's expression while she read his question and so he noticed the quick contemplating look she got, followed by an anxious look, while she quickly scribbled down her answer all the while pushing some of her dark hair away from her face. It seemed as though she did know something, but that was not what James would read, as she pushed the parchment back to his side of the table.

' _No, just that he'd fix everything and make sure we'd have a place to go. I'm not sure he had anyone special in mind, not someone he mentioned to us, anyway._ '

James wasn't sure he believed that. But then again, why would Camille lie to him? A couple of seats ahead, James noticed that an anxious Stebbins was staring intensely at the parchment the two of them had been pushing back and forth between each other. It seemed as though the Hufflepuff wasn't happy that he couldn't be included in this conversation. James turned back towards Camille, who met his eyes with a questioning look on her face. She lightly poked the parchment with her quill and James looked down to notice that she'd added something new, while he'd looked away;

' _What do you know about Nicolai Mulciber?_ ' it said. James looked at her, surprised. _Why?_ he mouthed to her and she gestured for him to slide over the parchment, which he did. She wrote something down quickly, before pushing the note back. James leaned forward and read; ' _Him and his friends has send us - you know, from the Cathedral School - strange looks ever since we arrived. Pretty unsettling, to be honest with you. Then this morning Paul Avery suddenly went up to Adam and asked him a bunch of question. Normally, I wouldn't be as judgemental, but the others from Hufflepuff have warned me to better stay away from students from Slytherin and the others have told me, that their houses have said the same thing to them._

 _Plus_ ,' she'd added underneath, ' _They really don't seem like a friendly lot, do they?_ '

James took Camilles words in; what were the Slytherins doing? Quickly, he scrawled down five words; ' _What did they ask about?_ '

Camille didn't hestitate; ' _The same as you, actually. "Who did Dumbledore contact?". When Adam told them he didn't know, this Mulciber interrupted and asked about us instead. Where we come from, who we were; If we all were mudbloods. Then Villiam had punched him in the nose and got detention._ '

James frowned. That seemed very forward of Mulciber. It wasn't like the Slytherins weren't known for making their beliefs about muggleborns known, but still James found it... odd, that the Slytherin had just thrown the slur out there. Starting conflict the first day back? He wrote back; 'Listen to your houses; I know I said earlier that it isn't really that black-and-white as the Sorting had says, but keep away from Slytherin none the less. They're known for their pureblood propaganda and some of them aren't afraid to use other's background as an excuse to fire a few hexes around. Evan Rosier, especially, is literally insane. Keep away from him.'

While Camille read, James could see her posture fall and she suddenly looked incredibly tired. And, what, melancholy? She only wrote down a few words before pushing the parchment back towards James. ' _No place is safe for us, anymore._ '

James was about to reply, but Camille had turned her attention towards Binns and didn't seem to want to continue the conversation. James also turned towards Binns, but continued to look at her out of the corner of his eye, He would've liked to share some words of encouragement with her, but honestly, he was kind of relieved that he didn't have to now. Because, really? Wasn't she right?

* * *

"You know," he said, absently twirling a lock of her blonde hair between his fingers, "I could get used to this."

"Mh," she mumbled, not really listening. "Just you keep doing what you're doing. I'm probably gonna take a nap."

He laughed. "What? Right here, in the common room?"

She nodded, cuddling up closer to him. Mira was laying on her boyfriends chest, both of them laying in one of the green couches in the Slytherin Dungeon. If you were to look outside the window, you would have no idea as to what time of the day it was; however, you could possible catch a glimpse of the Giant Squid swimming in the lakes that covered the common room in a matte green colour.

William shook his head, a smile on his lips, as he once again focused on Eldred Worples book in his free hand. They laid there for a while, both quite content with the matters of the world at the moment and would probably had continued this, hadn't they been interrupted.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" asked Mulciber as he entered the Common Room. He seemed relaxed enough at first glance, but if you looked closely, you could see the silent anger in his seemingly nonchalant attitude. Behind him was Gudgeon and Wilkes.

Mira, who'd gotten more of her usual charm back since yesterdays meeting (and had since also build up some anger towards Mulciber, as well), opened her eyes and glanced annoyed at the Slytherin. "And that's not allowed anymore?"

"It just seems that there are more important things to do than lie around the Common Room," said Gudgeon calmly and sounded as though he found the conversation - or maybe just Mira's endless defiance - to be incredibly boring. "I thought we'd made that clear yesterday."

"Can't you go bother Snape or something, then?" asked Mira and popped herself up on her elbows. "If you absolutely have to walk around and play Hit Wizards?"

"Snape is busy," Mulciber told her. "Doing what he's been told."

There was clear judgement in his voice now and Mira looked like she wanted to object, but William - without even looking up from his book - interrupted the conversation calmly. "I've got everything under control, Mulciber. You don't need to worry." Both Mira and Mulciber looked at William in surprise until he finally looked up to meet the latter's eyes. "Yes?"

Mulciber slowly shook his head. Wilkes was silently following the conversation, while Gudgeon was staring indifferent ot of the window. "Nothing. Fine. Just be careful, Rowle," said Mulciber, before leading the three of them out the Common Room again, leaving the couple alone.

William turned his attention back towards his book, seemingly unaffected by the conversation that had just taken place, but Mira stayed in her half-upright position on his chest with a thoughtful look in her eyes. After a moment, she put her hand on her boyfriend's chest to get his attention, looking worriedly at him. William, feeling her eyes on him, put the book down and then turned his attention towards her, waiting.

A moment of silence passed. Mira bit her lip, unsure, before finally speaking. "William, what did you mean by saying you've got 'everything under control'?"

William watched her closely, before slowly answering. "That I've got things under control. Like always. What's the problem, Silencia?"

She pursed her lips, annoyed, before answering him. "That I don't know _what_ you've got under control. What you're doing. Your mission," Mira started and William sighed. She smacked him annoyed on his chest. "You won't tell me what's happening. What you're to do. It's frustrating to be kept in the dark. Especially in situations like _that_ ," she continued. "What is Snape doing? You know, don't you?"

William shrugged evasively. "What he's been told."

Mira sent him an annoyed look and got up from her lying position, to sit on the couch instead. She send him a frustrated look. "And there's the problem. I don't _know_ what he's been told, William. You do, but you won't tell me. I don't like the secrecy," she told him.

"I'm aware," he said and straightened so that he could sit instead, as well. He leaned forward in the seat and started massaging his temples. "But there's a reason you're being kept in the dark about all this, Mira."

"And that reason is?" she asked, annoyed.

He opened his eyes and send her an annoyed look back. "Don't ask stupid questions. You know why."

Mira looked away and William closed his eyes again, continuing to massage his temples, annoyed by the situation he'd gotten in. The words were there, hanging in the air around them, unsaid, and had been there almost from the first day they'd officially started dating, back in December last year. They'd gotten a break from it all over the summer, but now that they were both back at Hogwarts, it couldn't be avoided much longer.

"They don't know, do they?" Mira finally asked, after a long silence.

William shook his head, but didn't look at her. "They just think you're afraid of making an official decision," he told her and Mira smiled a bitter smile. She didn't enjoy the fact that the only thing currently saving her relationship, was that a bunch of psychotic Slytherins seemed to think she was scared. And still, she had to be thankful. It was nice to hear. Until; "Avery suspects, however. And that means Mulciber will too, soon, if not already. Eleanor Nott, as well. She's clever, but then again, you're not hiding it that well, Mira."

"How do you know that Nott suspects?" she wanted to know.

"She told me. I ran into her on my way back to the Common Room yesterday evening. I doubt that she'd planned it, but you can't really know with those two. In any case, she made it clear that she'd noticed that you didn't seem to share our view on muggleborns. She'd seen you wince during the conversation earlier that day, when Rosier had called Evans a mudblood."

"She threatened you?" asked Mira angrily, but William shook his head.

"I'm not entirely sure why she told me, actually. She seemed very indifferent. She gave me some advice," he added slowly. "Said that it would probably be best if you decided soon. We wait too long, it won't be pretty."

"Fuck her," said Mira aggressively. "And her petty advice."

William shrugged, but did not agree with her. Mira bit her lip again and a fleeting feeling of fear fluttered in her chest. A fear of loss. She looked back at William. "When do you have to complete your mission?"

"I didn't get a specific date. I suppose they understood that I wouldn't accept a deadline. I won't wait too long, however." he told her. Mira scooted closer to him on the couch and determinedly placed a hand on top of his, that he'd placed on his lap. William looked at her and finally said: "You know I couldn't care less."

She nodded, slowly, and looked down. "I know."

"But I can't ignore it much longer."

"I know," she just repeated. He took her hand in his and interlaced her fingers with his own. "Fucking arsholes." she then said and even though William didn't say anything, she at least knew that this time, he agreed.

* * *

Gryffindors Common Room was a noisy place that evening. It was still only one of the first days back at Hogwarts which meant that the homework load hadn't gotten too bad yet, and people could instead spend their time catching up with their housemates. Multiple groups were occupying the many sofas and the conversation was flowing easily.

Also the students on their sixth year had gathered; they'd been lucky enough to snatch the sofa group by the firepace and were now playing Exploding Snap with Peter's cards around a low coffee table (supposedly, there should've been a box of Bertie Botts lying for everyone to share, but Peter had informed James that they'd all been devoured at the Hospital Wing earlier). As it was now, Lily and Remus shared the love seat, Mary MacDonald by Lily's feet with her back turned against the fireplace. In the big sofa sat Marlene McKinnon, a Marauder on each side (James to her left and Peter to her right) and in the armchair furthest away sat Sirius. They all had playing cards in their hands and their fingertips mildly sodded.

James had just finished telling the other what Camille had told him earlier (leaving out the last part about the Slytherins - he'd tell the other Marauders about that later) and the mood had dampened to something a bit more serious. James had noticed Lily placing her cards a bit more aggressively on the table than strictly necessary and Marlene kept glancing at her friend, worried. Remus had a wrinkle between his eyebrows and was looking seriously at the others.

"I still can't fathom that this is legal," he told them and placed a card on the table. They all waited a moment, staring at it, and when it didn't explode, Marlene continued.

"I can't be," she said and pulled her legs underneath herself, so that she was now sitting on top of them. They'd all changed into their casual clothes earlier. "At least not the letters. They got out way too late, that can't be right."

Sirius shrugged. "They were probably afraid of what Dumbledore'd do if they'd given him more time. It's your turn, Pete," He then added.

"But why hasn't the Ministry done anything?" Said Lily, annoyed. "Have they just given up?"

"According to _the Daily Profet_ the schools found 'an unfortunate loophole'," Mary told them.

"The Profet is generally taking all this very well, al things considered," said James and placed two cards on top of Peter's, when the latter's didn't explode. "No extensive interviews with Ministry folk, no comments from the headmasters of either the schools that kicked their students out or those who took them in again. I don't even think the story got the front page, honestly. Your turn, Marlene."

"It didn't," confirmed Mary. "Only the evening edition and it was very brief, even then."

"Well, they're not afraid to show where they stand on this matter," said Lily bitterly and the others nodded. A long silence followed where the group continued their card game, before Sirius started up the conversation again;

"Slytherins are attacking the new kids," he told them and placed a card on the table.

"What?" Remus asked and send him a surprised look. "What do you mean, 'attacking'?"

"He means," answered Lily, "That we saw Crouch Jr. stand by the stairs leading to the Library, casting tripping hexes on all of the new students passing by."

"You can't be serious - really?" Cried James and Marlene looked sad. "Well, what did you do about it, then?"

"One of the older girls from the school noticed it at the same time as Lily and me," Sirius told them. "She seemed pretty set on fixing the situation herself, but Lily got to it first."

"Crouch is a nasty little thing," said Mary and shuddered. "The girls - well, and the guys as well, actually - from his year all have some less than nice stories about what he spends his time on."

"I've heard some of them," Marlene confirmed. "Most don't dare to come near him with a ten-foot broomstick."

"And rightfully so," said Mary and then looked over at Sirius. "Doesn't Regulus run around with him?"

Sirius just sent her a dark look. "I have no idea and couldn't care less. If he wants to piss his life away, spending his time with those kinds of people, for Merlins sake, let him. I'm done trying."

"He doesn't look too good, lately," Marlene pointed out, worriedly. "Maybe you should-"

"Can we talk about something other than my brother's stupid life choices?" Sirius interrupted her and she bowed her head, letting it go.

"Well, while we're on the topic of uncomfortable conversations," said Mary and looked towards the ginger of the group. "Lily, have you talked to Snape since we came back?"

Lily rolled her eyes at her friend, then shook her head. "No, but we've only just returned now, haven't we?"

"He also seems to have been busy," Marlene pointed out and Lily nodded.

"Wait," interrupted James. "So you're going to speak with him? After what happened in may? After he called you a you-know-what?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, he tried to talk to me after it had happened, but I was too mad to listen. I spend most of the summer at Marlene's, so he couldn't contact me then, either. I've thought about it and decided that I want to give him a chance." When James looked at her appelled, she quickly added; "Not to be friends. But to let him explain, at least. We were friends for years, you know. He was the first to tell me that I was a witch. I just don't want our relationship to end this way.

"I let you explain yourself," she then said, giving James a pointed look. "It would only be fair to let Severus do the same."

The girls nodded, James, however, didn't answer. Instead, Peter asked; "So you're going to forgive him then, Lily?"

"That doesn't seem wise," added Remus and Lily also shook her head.

"Probably not. But as a muggleborn, don't you think I've got enough enemies as it is? There's no reason for letting Severus go around and hate me, adding another to the pile, when it can be avoided."

"Ah, Evans," Sirius grinned. "Always so positive." Lily laughed as well.

"Well," said Marlene and stretched. "I think I'm off to bed. You might've gotten through History - even though _some of you_ cheated - but I still have to listen to Binns tomorrow and if I don't get my eight hours, I _will_ fall asleep to than endless droning." She threw her playing cards on the table and got up from the sofa. James moved his legs so that she could get through, while Lily and Mary also got to their feet.

"I also have Binns in the morning, so I think I'll follow Marlene's example," Lily told them. Mary waved goodnight as well, and the three Gryffindor girls disappeared up the stairs to their dormitory. Now the Marauders were the only ones left, and James told them the rest of what Camille had told him earlier. Sirius was quickly in on the idea that something seemed fishy, but Peter was questioning it.

"I just don't understand what's s'pposed to be strange about it," he said, confused. Remus also shook his head.

"I'm with Peter. I don't see anything off, either. Slytherins attack other students they don't like all the time - we do, too. And it's no secret, that they don't like muggleborns. Of course they're after the new students. Not that I condone, of course, but what's off about that?"

Sirius sticked with James. "Nah, something isn't right. Prongs is on to something, I can feel it; there's a difference between their usual arse-selves and this obvious provocation. Something's up," he said.

James leaned forward in his seat. "Whatever it is, let's just keep an eye on the situation, yeah? And keep an eye on Snape."

"On Snape?" said Remus.

"Yeah," said Sirius, excitedly. "Didn't you hear McKinnon? 'He's been busy'? I'll bet twenty galleons that Snivellus has something to do with this."

"If only I had that kind of money," said Peter in a dreamy voice, and Remus laughed.

James nodded. "Snape is definitely involved."

Remus sent him a look. "And this has nothing to do with Lily just telling us she want's to fix things with him?"

"Moony, don't be such a downer," said Sirius, looking at the others, the thought of the possible adventure giving him a mischievous grin. "James is right. What if we've actually caught on to something big here?"

"Let's hope we haven't," Remus said, seriously. "Hogwarts is supposed to be a safe place."

James shook his head. "Not anymore."


End file.
